B.C. Minimum Wage Hike in 2011

B.C. new Premier Christy Clark announced on March 16, 2011 that the minimum hourly wage will go up from $8.00 to $8.75 on May 1, 2011, to $9.50 on November 1 and to $10.25 on May 1, 2012. The province's current rate has remained at $8 an hour for ten years and is the lowest in Canada.

As of May 1, B.C. is eliminating its "training wage," which allows employers to pay first-time workers just $6 an hour for the first 500 hours of employment.

After B.C.'s increase on November 1, 2011, Alberta will have the lowest hourly wage in Canada, at $8.80 while Ontario currently has the highest minimum wage of $10.25.

Effective May 1, 2011, minimum wages in Canada will be as follows:

Alberta $8.80

British Columbia $8.75

Manitoba $9.50

New Brunswick $9.50

Newfoundland $10.00

NWT $9.00

Nova Scotia $9.65

Nunavut $11.00

Ontario $10.25

PEI $9.00

Quebec $9.65

Saskatchewan $9.25

Yukon $9.00

[This page was added on March 17, 2011 and last revised on March 23, 2011.]